1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a combine attachment by which two disc mower-conditioner units are attached to and driven by a combine or power unit with the mower-conditioners being arranged at slight opposing angles and in slightly staggered relation for discharge of the cut material in side-by-side relationship to form a single windrow. The mower-conditioners attached to the combine or power unit are in and of themselves a known structure and the combine or power unit in and of itself is a known structure with the attachment enabling the mower-conditioners to be connected to, supported from and driven from the feeder housing on the combine with the attachment including a supporting frame that is quickly and easily attached to and removed from the feeder housing, a drive assembly at each side of the feeder housing and a control mechanism for controlling the attitude of the mower-conditioners.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Combines, harvesters, gleaners and similar self-propelled farm implements are customarily provided with interchangeable headers to enable various crops to be cut or harvested. The following U.S. patents relate to this field of endeavor.
3,619,996 PA1 3,835,628 PA1 4,085,570 PA1 4,267,687 PA1 4,495,754 PA1 4,723,396
U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,570 discloses a harvester of the self-propelled type with an attachment mounted on the forward end thereof. U.S. Pat. No. 4,267,687 also discloses a conventional grain combine and a conventional hay pickup together with an adaptor unit connecting the hay pickup unit to the combine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,396 discloses a mower unit with a hitch assembly. While the prior art discloses the basic concept of attaching a crop cutting or treating apparatus to a combine, the prior art does not disclose the specific attachment of this invention.